Sensei's Resolve
by RamblingPug
Summary: Suzume's growing up and she's starting to want more. How long will it take for our beloved Sensei to cave in? Rated M for intimacy.
1. Chapter 1

Sensei's Resolve

**A/N : This was written for a really sweet anon a couple of months ago on Tumblr. I'll probably write 4 more parts for this.**

**Disclaimer : Everyhing except the silly plot belongs to Yamamori Mika.**

He waits for her at their usual meeting place, roughly three blocks from her Uncle's diner, sifting through the messages in his inbox. There's nothing from her, no message explaining that she is held up in school, no messages from _anyone _in fact, and he wonders, absently, when he became such a boring person.

It is a definite extension of an otherwise extremely short walk home, and despite Shishio's assurances that they could always just meet later, she always insists that they walk home together, so he waits anyway. He pulls at his sushi neck tie - a fond gift from the afore mentioned sea-food loving student - getting slightly impatient and decides it's better off for him to look through his work for the evening if she's going to be late.

He is interrupted shortly after by a pair of lean arms thrown clumsily about his waist, and it's no surprise as to whom they belong. He smiles, lacing his fingers through one of her hands and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Sensei," she says happily, her voice muffled into his sweatshirt, "sorry I'm late."

"That's okay Chun-Chun," he says, as she sits beside him on the stone parapet, "did class get over late for you?" It's hard to be annoyed when she has such a happy glow on her face.

"Not really," she says dismissively, resting her head on his shoulder. "We were just making plans for the annual festival."

It's silly, he knows, but his breath catches for a moment when her chest brushes against his arm, winding herself closer to him. As much as he appreciates how casual she's become about their relationship after their brief break-up, there are still precautions to maintain and it's a little hard when he's the only one trying to maintain them.

He nudges her gently off of him, and gets down, smiling a little more than usual to make up for the slightly hurt expression on her face and leads her to his house because he needs to drop off all his correction load before walking her back home.

"So tell me," he chirps, "who are you going to the festival with?" Having been a teacher for so long, he isn't ignorant of the who's-going-with-who fuss his students inevitably make every year, and he's fairly certain that when she mentioned 'plans for the festival' this was what she had been talking about.

She doesn't say anything and they walk up the stairs to his apartment in silence. Shishio has always hated silences, so seeking comfort in empty small talk, he says, "What about Nekota? Will she be joining you guys this year?"

"She's going with Togyuu-senpai," she says, softly as he unlocks his door. She sits on the chair by the kitchen counter as he goes into his room to change.

"So they're dating now?" he asks, from inside. His students' personal lives are the least of his concern but he generally enjoys Suzume's chit-chat about her friends.

"Not yet," she says, laughing slightly, "She really is such a tsundere."

"I thought you figured that out after the bowling incident."

Yuyuka isn't really Sensei's favourite, especially after that stunt she had pulled when Suzume had first joined school, and she knows this, so she doesn't say anything, her eyebrows creased, deep in thought.

"Oi, Suzume," he says snapping his fingers in front of her. She doesn't respond.

Long, steepled fingers tip her chin upwards snapping her out of her reverie and his gentle, verdant eyes darken with worry.

"What's wrong?" he asks, softly, tensing upon seeing the distant expression on her face. She has only just started opening up to him and he will do anything to avoid the anguish of miscommunication.

"Togyuu-senpai's friend asked me if I wanted to go to the festival with him," she murmurs, observing Shishio's expression carefully.

Sure enough, a dark emotion flits over his otherwise gentle features and he berates himself – he's the one who asked her whom she was going with ; he should have expected this.

Before he can say anything, Suzume continues, her tone wary. "Yuyuka-chan says that generally people go to the festival with their boyfriends…"

He knows what's going to come next but he is still unprepared when she actually asks it.

"Are you my _boyfriend, _Sensei?"

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. _If only things were that straightforward. _

"Well, you could say that, but"-

She interrupts him, her emotions getting the better of her, her voice raising an octave. "Then why do you shirk away every time I come near you?" She is standing in front of him now, face barely inches away from him.

She moves to take his hand and he automatically steps away, his hands raking through his dark hair, expression guilty. "It isn't like that, Chunsuke…" he sighs, knowing that his evident distance just serves as proof of her accusation.

Now, Shishio has nothing against contact, quite the contrary in fact, it's good, but it _does _things to him - especially her warm, sweet smell drifting into him each time she's near him, or the slow tingle that resonates throughout his body every time she touches him - and it's quite a challenge to restrain himself, especially when his mind is so aggressively pushing for _more. _

But he looks at her, her eyes downcast, the hurt stamped on each and every one of her delicate features and a little string in his heart pulls achingly because oh, how is he supposed to explain this?

He takes her hand in his, caressing her palm with his thumb, and as expected, this isn't enough for him, he wants to pull her and crush her to him in the worst way possible, enveloping her in his embrace and never letting go… But she is all of _seventeen, _young and naive, and _something_ must be said for propriety.

"Suzume," he murmurs, brushing the hair out of her eyes, and forcing her to look at him. One look at those big baby blues, unguarded and unsuspecting, and he knows he is lost. There is a yearning in them that mirrors his own, only it is so much tamer and innocent in comparison that he is torn between what he is _supposed to do _and what he really wants.

"Kiss me," she says, without conviction, soft and so low that it's entirely possible he's just imagining it, almost sure that he won't do it, that he will refuse her the same way he always refuses her touch.

He swears because he's pretty sure it's illegal to be _this _innocent and swoops down to kiss her, lips soft and insistent, working desperately against hers to drive away the insecurity he heard in her voice.

His tongue traces the outline of her lower lip and she is so much sweeter than he ever imagined, responsive and eager and he nips gently, slowing her down.

"There's no rush," he whispers against her lips, a reminder to him more than himself because the sensation is consuming, taking over his rationality and he needs to be _careful._

It's useless because she's swallowed his words, hands fisting into his hair to angle herself better. She gasps, her breath quickening because she is thrown by the intensity of his kiss, his tongue swirling against hers, and she literally _melts. _

He tears himself away from her, his breathing ragged, slightly ashamed that a simple kiss could have this sort of effect on him. The feeling vanishes when he looks at Suzume who is looking at him with obvious wonder, mouth parted and panting, not even attempting to hide the upheaval his lips have just caused.

"I'll go to the festival with you," he says on an impulse, sure that they'll have to run around in circles, complicating otherwise simple things, but when he sees her smile, bright and hopeful, he's certain that it will definitely be worth it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sensei's Resolve, Part 2 **

**Rating : M (intimate situations ahead, guys) **

**A/N : A big thank you to madness-97 and the lovely anon who urged me to continue this fic, I had the worst case of writer's block. This story is written almost entirely from Sensei's POV and is a little heavier than the first part. **

Christmas this year was beautiful as always, smattered with the holiday hues of red and green, the snow cold only diffused by the warmth of genuine holiday cheer.

All in all, it was every bit his favourite holiday.

It was his usual practice to come by the Diner, sip a beer and chat about the year gone by, revelling in the distinct happiness of this festival.

Well, at least that's how it _usually_ went.

This year his Christmas evening was dignified by a marked annoyance bouncing around in minimal pieces of red and white, tempting him from a distance, despite his multiple attempts to ignore it.

"You're a creep, Satsuki," comes the voice the friendly neighbourhood ex girlfriend, cheerfully taking pleasure in his discomfort.

He grumbles in protest, a vague rejection of her accusation, taking another sip of beer and mildly contemplates ordering another one.

"You've been staring at her legs for the past one and a half hours now." Mentally, he wants to hit himself because clearly nothing _ever_ escapes her. "I'm not staring at her legs," he defends hastily, because you can't call it _staring_, just his eyes running over the smooth white skin, "I'm just… You know, making sure no one else is staring."

"Hmm," she continues, as if he hadn't spoken at all, "They are a _fine_ pair of legs, though."

"You're the creep here," he grumbles under his breath, irritation growing because he was aware that she was doing this on purpose. Tsubomi had been taking every opportunity to point out just how attractive Suzume, not that he needed someone to of course, enjoying his annoyance greatly.

He watches her ahead, smiling at the customers, tiny red skirt swaying with the movement of her hips, revealing the incredible length of her smooth, milky legs and…

See it's _this_ train of thought that he tries so desperately to avoid. She's your _student_, he reminds himself, and he can feel his subconscious wanting to protest.

"She's your girlfriend, Satsuki," Tsubomi says, affirming the words of his subconscious that he was desperately trying to drown. "It's okay to look."

_If only it were so simple. _

"Why does it have to be so short?" He despairs, giving in to his frustration, wondering how the hell her Uncle even allowed her to wear a frilly little ensemble so… _small_. She had been helping out at the Diner ever since the break started, surely she should've learnt to be a little more aware of her surroundings.

"It isn't that short," Tsubomi comments, "You're just being irrationally possessive as always." Smiling at the distressed look on his face as he watched yet another male customer, at a table quite close to theirs, grinning a little too much at the girl in question, she says, "Well, not to worry, your ex girlfriend is here to give you some advice about your situation!"

He is just about to tell her off for referring to herself like that, because he's seen how it affects Suzume, making her face crumble just a little bit, before he sees Suzume saunter up to their table, no literally, _saunter_, it must be the heels, he thinks wearily. He's glad she's here before Tsubomi has the chance to actually give him any of the said advice, which usually involves rather lewd demonstrations of physical intimacy that he'd honestly rather not think about.

"Merry Christmas Sensei, Tsubomi-san! Can I get you something?"

_You_, he thinks instantly, before mentally smacking himself for his increasing levels of cheesiness. But he can't help it, because she really does look _delicious_, even more so up close, framed in a fitting white sweater and a skirt that has been preoccupying him all evening, hair swept back and – is that _makeup_ she has on?!

"Ah, Merry Christmas to you too, Suzume-chan, but I'm afraid I'll have to be going now, I've got to meet some co-workers for drinks."

She cocks her head to spare a glance at Shishio, who was too busy just taking in the sight of his girlfriend to actually say anything of relevance, so she speaks for him. "I think you can get Satsuki another beer though. He'll probably be staying here a little longer."

He snaps out of his reverie at the mention of his name, ignoring the teasing look Tsubomi sends his way and he flushes, blinking, verdant flashes behind his too-large glasses. "Um. What?"

Smirking she gets up to leave, and Suzume looks at Shishio worriedly. "Are you alright, Sensei? You look a little…" Tentatively, she places a small hand on his forehead.

"I'm fine," he assures, sounding a little more choked than he would like, extremely aware of how warm her hand is against his skin, only to wonder how it would feel on certain other, eager places…

_Stop right there, mister. _

"Are you sure you should have another drink?" She asks, and he swears it's this innocence that just fucking _kills_ him each time. Because no, he shouldn't be drinking more, not with the direction in which his brain is headed, not with her so close to him, but he's pretty sure she's completely unaware of the inner turmoil eating at him.

"When do you get done?" He asks instead of answering her question, because it's Christmas and there's got to be some damned mistletoe somewhere, far _far_ away from the restaurant and Yukichi's vigilant eyes. "In… Half an hour? I need to go to Yuyuka-chan's house"-

"Great, I'll walk you," he says, a little too eager to get the hell out of here.

"Okay," she says, smiling, happy to be able to spend time with him because she's barely seen him this past week, with school being closed and her Uncle watching over her a little too much. "I'll get you your beer till then."

She's back moments later, opening the bottle with a flourish, and leaving in a hurry, having been summoned by another customer.

He watches her serving them, laughing, enjoying their appreciation of the food. When she walks away there is hesitation in her steps and slowly, she turns her head towards him, catching his gaze.

Her eyes widen with an unnamed emotion, and he can feel her gasp from so far away, and he wonders if she always looks at him like this, a heady mixture of vulnerable and wanting, tempting him to drag her out of here by force.

But somehow he manages to calm himself, flashing a crooked smile, and she bows her head a little embarrassedly, turning to get back to her work.

He catches her eyes numerous times after that, her round face flushed each time and he tenses. Is this what Yukichi had been talking about?

He had made it a point not to hide their relationship from her Uncle but It was only a few weeks ago that a fuming Yukichi had confronted him, asking about how 'far' along their relationship was.

..

"Just what have you been doing with Suzume?"

Shishio almost froze. "Eh? I haven't" –

"Don't give me that bullshit. She's been having... _conversations_... with her friends…"

At any other time he would have made fun of his friend because his face was a comical daze of red embarrassment but right now the things Yukichi was talking about were enough to make his _own_ ears turn red.

_She actually thinks about all that…? _He thinks, blood rushing to his cheeks – and thankfully not any other part because thinking of Suzume talking about doing all these things was _affecting_ him – and he hastens to a clarification.

"I haven't – Well we haven't done," his mortification _cannot_ be more evident, "or even spoken about any of that stuff."

This manages to calm his friend down somewhat but there is a painfully awkward silence that spears the both of them.

"If you do anything, Shishio, I swear," Yukichi trails off, the silent threat clearly understood by both parties. "She's just a child, goddammit!"

Shishio nods silently, he knows, he's _painfully_ aware of this fact, especially every morning when she greets him in the school corridor, when he wants to pull her and kiss her good morning, but she's standing there in front of him all wide eyed and cheerful in her damn uniform, and he can't even _touch_ her.

..

The next time he sees her look at him, she's put down her little notepad and the menu and cocks her head towards the backdoor, beckoning him to follow. She visibly shivers and he looks down to see goosebumps forming on her legs, no doubt not withstanding the harsh cold. He takes her hand in his, because this he _can_ do, and rubs gently, suffusing some of his own warmth into her as they begin to walk.

She smiles at his comforting motions and says, "Is it okay to stop by the house, Sensei? I need to pick up something."

"Sure," he says, wondering when she would stop asking him so politely, because by this point he is ready to do anything she asks, just so long as he gets to be with her.

She stops by the doorstep, reaching for the keys and says, "I'll just be a few minutes."

"It's okay, Chun-Chun, take all the time you want."

She is about to climb the stairs to her room but he stops her with a nervous tug of her hand.

"Maybe you should change into jeans or something?" He suggests lightly, gesturing at her attire.

She colours slightly, looking down before asking, "You don't like what I'm wearing, Sensei?"

He sees rather than hears her nervousness, her teeth catching her lower lip almost painfully.

"I didn't say that, Chunsuke," he starts, because _boy, had she got that all wrong_, but she cuts him off and steps away. "It's okay, I can change if you don't like it."

And he's done it again, somehow it's a careful line to tread because he's certain he just saw the slightest bit of hurt swimming dangerously in her deep blues and he can't bear it.

"Hey," he says, softly, catching up to her steps in a second. "That's not what I meant." Cupping the side of her face, he murmurs, "Were you wearing that," his hand goes to her waist, slipping a little south to the edge of the fabric, stroking, lightly, _too lightly_ against the skin underneath, "for me?"

He is barely aware of the distinct shift in atmosphere, or the position of their bodies, now pressing her gently against the wall, looming over her, voice so low it ghosts deliberately over the skin of her ear, which his lips are _almost_ touching.

It may not register to him, but It does to her, that he is so close, she can smell the mild scent of his aftershave, soft and alluring, hands playing on her skin in dangerous, _dangerous_ places, that he has consumed literally all of her air, and she can barely breathe with the knowledge that her lips are so enticingly close to hers.

"Yuyuka-chan said that you – you would appreciate this, so she," –

He wasn't surprised really, he had thought that the movements of her hips were just a little too exaggerated today, and it's not that he minded really, he enjoyed the show thoroughly, it's just that Tsubomi was right, he was far too possessive of her for his own good. He couldn't stand the thought of anyone else appreciating his girlfriend's body especially when she was showing so much skin.

"Look at me," he breathes and her heart speeds up audibly as she lifts her head to look into his dark, irresistible eyes, because he always says this just before –

His lips find their place, hot, and searing, branding their passion on her neck, his words barely audible in between kisses.

How is she supposed to look at him like this? She thinks helplessly.

"I love it," he says and it's a gruff confession torn from his throat, his one hand still fingering the end of her skirt, small tendrils of electricity flowing upwards from the spot on her thighs he absentmindedly brushes.

Her breathless gasps echo in the small entryway and he proceeds to consume them, planting his mouth on hers.

It's enough to make her consciousness swim when his tongue glides into her mouth, slowly at first and then darting against hers, squeezing a groan from her mouth, because she's certain she lives for moments like this, when Shishio holds her to him like this, like she's everything he needs.

"You look amazing," he manages, pausing for a breath, "but not in the restaurant, please." He wants to explain, telling her that sometimes she has to bend down and pick up some stuff, and he's pretty sure it wasn't only his heart tonight that had threatened to literally _stop_ at the sight, but she's caught his lips again, smiling into the kiss, pleased that he likes it that she's dressed up for him and he forgets, losing himself in the unbeatable sensation of her mouth, hot and wanting against hers.

It isn't till her hand trails down against his shirt, roaming slightly against his chest that he freezes, responsibility surging into his brain like an unwelcome traitor, that he slows the urgent dance of their lips.

"Hmm," he breathes, moving apart and forcing a smile, raking his fingers into his hair in a bid to calm down. "Go get dressed, Chun-Chun," he says with a smile, pushing her to go upstairs, because it's getting late and he doesn't want to explain to Yukichi what they were doing under the dim light of the stair way.

She tugs on his hand, her face still flushed and looks at him, embarrassed but determined and says, "Come upstairs with me."

It takes super human resolve and a forced reminder of incredibly awkward conversations with her Uncle to prevent his brain from effectively coming to a halt and mindlessly following her upstairs.

He catches every single unsaid emotion in her lovely eyes and he's reminded again that she is far too precious, young and naïve for this because he isn't sure he has the strength to deny her when they're in her room.

"I'll be outside," he says softly, trying to ignore her visible disappointment, "It's cold. Don't take too long, okay?" He leaves with a gentle rub of her hand that in no way, makes up for the phenomenal amount of mortification that she's feeling right now as she runs up the stairs.

It's all he can do to not sink to his knees against the door when he's outside, almost crumbling against the weight of determination that he had to summon a couple of minutes ago. Dazedly, he reaches for his packet of smokes, because he desperately needs to calm the hell down.

"Sensei?" A voice interrupts just as he's about to light it and when he turns, he's floored for the second time that day, and he wonders if it even has anything to with her attire, whether he is so affected just by looking at her, that it doesn't matter what she's _wearing_, he has little hope of retaining his senses around her anyway.

"I brought you an extra scarf," she says, handing him the red garment, "It really is cold outside."

He takes it gratefully, silently continuing his survey of her and he finds she's washed up, scrubbed clean of the makeup she had earlier but he can still see that her lips are slightly swollen, proof of their earlier indulgence.

She smiles and it might be forced, but it's bright and wonderful, suppressing the earlier disappointment and that in itself is enough to calm him down.

Taking his hand, she begins to walk, telling him about the present she's got for her best friend and that she'll never ever expect it and he nods, eyes shining under the streetlights but he's really just watching her more than listening.

Absently he interrupts her monologue, fingering a lock of hair, now free from it's earlier prison, sweeping down her back and comments, "You look beautiful, Chunsuke."

**A/N : ahhh I always, always have trouble with endings. If you have a moment, please tell me what you think? :)**


End file.
